Telugu Association celebrates Vinayaka Chavithi

The Telugu Association of South Island New Zealand (TasiNZ), an informal group in existence since 2006, with more than 300 members, celebrated Vinayaka Chavithi in Christchurch on September 10.

The event started with Lord Ganesha prayers followed by Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dance performances by Sneha and Pranavi respectively. Later, the gathering was treated to devotional songs, notable among those was the one sung by Parameshwar Rao, which reminded everyone of the famous Telugu singer Sri Ghantasala.

Local Telugu poet Satish Gollapudi also released his poetry book on the occasion while reciting few from the collection.

To generate interest and encourage children to learn about India's freedom struggle, a quiz contest was organised, with prizes given to the eventual winners.

A highlight of the evening was Lavanya Kasibhatla reciting a poem written for Rex Russell Smith, a New Zealander, who has a passion for Telugu and is well-versed in the language.

Diwakar Kandula, a researcher at the Lincoln University, and one of the founding members of TasiNZ, noted, “The event was also the part of our mid-winter gathering. As such Lord Ganesha's birthday celebrations are very popular in Andhra Pradesh. We organise these events periodically so that our younger generation remains connected to our culture.”